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记者的观察
The realities of real estate. e9 d0 D4 [8 A, B, Q
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Published: Friday, October 06, 2006
$ b x! L2 m( K5 |: qEDMONTON - With her toolbox in hand and overalls on, newcomer Lisa Laas feels she can conquer the plumbing world in Edmonton.
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The 29-year-old plumber from Vancouver had no problem finding work in Edmonton with trades people high in demand in Alberta." c, h( m2 C- u# f0 Y5 l7 t
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She moved here in December with dreams of being a homeowner, something she could never afford in Vancouver despite four years of saving her money for a down payment.! m3 P2 S3 M$ o
3 d$ A0 L, c( ]8 v! A/ l5 a5 C" ZBut she didn't expect Edmonton's world of hot housing where the law of successful buying seems to consist of three elements: speed, cash and no conditions.1 C. c/ A I3 j5 r6 N# V4 [
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"It absolutely scared me," she says. "I moved here for a house, and all of a sudden a townhouse went from $105,000 to $155,000 and I'm going, 'Oh my gosh. I have to buy really quick.' I've seen it in Vancouver and now I'm starting to see it here and it's frustrating."; ^# o. [7 w [! P
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Laas started looking in February. She had hoped to buy a house for $160,000, but soon realized she had to change her plans. A townhouse would have to do.
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& W6 F, w6 i* U3 B" xBut she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house." A3 j, [" Y4 i% j
) f5 U4 {8 D+ r3 _) ~She's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned."
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One house, the one she really wanted in the northwest neighbourhood of Calder, went on the market at 4 p.m. and had multiple offers by 6 p.m. so Laas walked away. In two other instances, other buyers had fewer conditions on their bid to purchase a townhouse, so her offer was dismissed.8 ~ H( _. R7 ]) S2 |% L: K6 p
: T5 v9 ^5 A% F! ALaas says she was in tears because of the experience. She has given up working with a real estate agent to look for a home. She says she's backed off the whole thing, but she keeps her eye open every now and then.
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Forty-five-year-old Cheryl Daly is also having a tough time finding an affordable home for her 12-year-old son and a 16-year-old daughter.: ]" L) K) K1 R# C2 f& L
4 j- O8 b/ Q, {' n* s/ J( C4 gShe left a 23-marriage and a 1,700-square-foot home last year. She works as an administrator and now rents a three-bedroom townhouse. R" j# n3 s8 {0 j2 S
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Back in April, she started looking for a home, something in the $170,000 range. "I would like to have a half duplex even, but with the prices and with my status, I know that's not realistic," she says.
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So Daly has been checking out townhouses, but even that has been difficult for her.* \3 E/ j( M- c
/ `# x5 O; w( H( o" e% r6 @"The places, when they come up, if they're at a decent price, they're gone really quickly," she says, "so it's a matter of timing."$ O) A x+ d* @
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Time has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher.
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# e0 w: J+ W$ P" S M! H/ iAn average single dwelling unit in Edmonton sold for $316, 480 in August this year. An average townhouse, which includes the price of duplexes, sold for $262,327 in the same month. Last year in August an average townhouse sold for $175,922.
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The president of the Edmonton Real Estate Board, Madeline Sarafinchan, says the hot market is tough for first-time homeowners and single people.
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"It's definitely making people think about what their options are," Sarafinchan says. "They're having to look at things that maybe are not as what they would have termed as desirable."
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That may mean sellers are not as open to "conditions" on offers as they used to be -- such as a house inspection before the deal is finalized. |
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